SWANSEA'S latest development sensation was released to the public last week in the form of a two-day public consultation exercise by Dublin-baseddevelopers Niall J Mellon.

SWANSEA'S latest development sensation was released to the public last week in the form of a two-day public consultation exercise by Dublin-baseddevelopers Niall J Mellon.

Under their UK trading arm, Earthquake - the company packed a room in Swansea's Dylan Thomas Centre with images and models of the proposed Seagate and Fararra Quay development. Anchored by a 29-storey skyscraper - the tallest in Wales if the scheme gets the go-ahead - and circled by a cluster of satellite buildings, the site of this extraordinary £50m development is to be Swansea Marina.

News of the development first hit Swansea's mean streets late last year and, since then, there's been a growing anticipation over the what, where, why and hows.

Of course, the scheme is not without its detractors - this is Swansea after all.

When it comes to residents of the marina, some of whom will certainly have reduced views of the sea, it's easy to understand why there might be some opposition.

But, as for the effect the scheme will have on the existing marina ghost town? Well marina residents should applaud the new cafes, bars, restaurants and office accommodation that will arrive, and the creation of what will effectively be a new leisure and commercial hub.

Why? Because a boom in the marina will undoubtedly translate into a boom in property prices, as well as offer the kiss of life to a whole swathe of the marina that has faded into obscurity.

Legitimate marina residents' concerns aside, there are a group of nay-sayers diametrically opposed to this scheme on the grounds that it's "out of proportion".

By this, I can only assume that is because the Earthquake scheme is not anodyne, dull, generic and instantly forgettable and, therefore, not acceptable.

But, Swansea needs to be spectacular. It needs talkability. It needs iconic buildings that instantly bring a positive image, focus and emotion to Swansea.

Some of these are already here or on their way - take the city's new Sail Bridge, the National Waterfront Museum and the SA1 development, which is set to boast a Space Academy amongst its development offspring.

When it comes to iconic buildings and schemes in Swansea, as far as I'm concerned, the more the better.

So, on Friday, I took the stroll to the Earthquake consultation exhibition and had a look for myself at scheme in question. Whilst the models of the development to me looked spectacular, it was the sight of another building in the room that firmly cemented my view of the project's absolute necessity.

As part of their exhibition, the scheme's engineers - Atkins - were displaying examples of their other projects including the world's only seven star hotel the Burj al Arab in Dubai. The multi-award-winning building is now recognised all over the world and has become, literally, the image and icon of Dubai.

While, at a quarter of the size, Swansea's own version won't have quite the same global impact, nevertheless, as the tallest building in Wales, it will certainly ensure that when Swansea and Wales are thought of, a new modern, progressive and towering icon springs to mind.